Belarus

Belarus

Republic of Belarus

Europe

Geography

Area: 207,600 sq km

Landlocked; fertile agricultural land with extensive forests on the North European plains. Surrounded by Russia,
Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Smallest of the three Slavic nations of the former USSR.

Religion

Challenges for Prayer

The cultural and political dominance by Russia and Polandlasted for many centuries. Belarus itself lacks, to some degree, its own identity. Pray for a truly indigenous expression of Belarusian Christianity to develop and then spread using all methods: church services, theological education, literature, broadcasting.

The Chernobyl catastrophe in 1986occurred in the Ukraine, but affected Belarus most severely. Subsequent environmental and human devastation is significant, with 20% of the nations land area affected, two million people uprooted and several thousand dead or dying from radiation-induced cancer. The government views radiophobia as the biggest problem now, since it prevents effective resettlement and recultivation of the affected area. Many charities were set up to care for those affected, particularly orphans and children born with health issues. Pray for wisdom for those overseeing resettlement, help for those already affected and hope for those who still live in uncertainty as a result of the disaster.